Since their infancy in the 19th century, automobiles have developed greatly and become a ubiquitous sight in the modern era. Millions of people own cars and trucks today, with recent data from the United States Department of Energy finding that there are 811.83 vehicles per 1000 people in the United States as of the year 2010. The same data shows that the average age of passenger cars has been increasing annually, from 8.4 years in 1995 to 11.1 years in 2011. As the average age of cars increases, so does the emphasis on maintenance of said cars. Well maintained cars will require less repair and depreciate less than their poorly maintained counterparts. One aspect of maintenance is protecting the paint and exterior surfaces of the vehicle. To protect their vehicle, many persons resort to using a vehicle cover.
Vehicle covers are sheets that are draped over a vehicle to protect against the elements, including sunlight, rust, and debris. Sometimes these sheets have elastic edges, which help to better secure the vehicle cover to the vehicle. However, due to variations in vehicle size, even elastic covers tend to be loosely fitted in spots, such as across the top roof or doors of a vehicle. This is a potential downside, as dirt often gets in the space between a vehicle cover and the vehicle itself. While the dirt is not an issue by itself, windy conditions can cause the vehicle cover to shift and move in various ways. A moving vehicle cover can cause the hidden dirt to scratch against the surface of the vehicle, damaging paint jobs that were expensive, are expensive to repair, or even both. For many people this is reason enough to forego the use of a vehicle cover; however, their vehicle is then left exposed to the elements. While some persons may be able to store their vehicle in a covered location such as a garage, not all vehicle owners are afforded that luxury. There is a need for a vehicle cover that can protect a vehicle while eliminating the potential for undesired side effects.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle cover that protects a vehicle without touching the vehicle surface. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a vehicle cover that can be adjusted to a compact state for storage. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a vehicle cover that creates shade and protects against the elements.